La Festa della Repubblica, Italy’s national day

Festa della Repubblica

It commemorates the universal Italian vote on June 2, 1946 that ended the monarchy and founded the Italian Republic after the fall of Fascism and the end of World War II.

It’s a public holiday in Italy. To celebrate, there are military parades across the country.

The founding of the Italian Republic was a big deal because Fascism started in Italy before spreading to Germany. After living through it, the Italian people chose democracy.

Interestingly, you can recognize the Fascist tendencies of a militarized citizenship preparing fancy machines for total war in the artistic movement of Italian Futurism. What does art tell us today?

The meaning of La Festa della Repubblica in 2018 for Americans of the United States

How appropriate to celebrate the forming of a democracy and the fall of Fascism – given that Italy is having trouble forming a government right now and Fascism has arrived in the United States.

Am I baiting you? No. I’m really concerned about our country and our future in it.

What is Fascism anyway? From Wikipedia: “Fascism is a form of radical authoritarian nationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and control of industry and commerce.”

“Fascism is a form of radical authoritarian nationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and control of industry and commerce.”

Wikipedia

If that doesn’t describe what is happening now in the United States, then you must be a follower of Fox News. The actions of our government being described in all other major media fit the definition of Fascism.

Maybe we shouldn’t go there. It was tried and it failed. It failed badly. The people who lived through the horror of World War II are reaching the end of their lives. Our social memory of what happened is dying.

Many Americans of the United States used to look down on the problems of other countries, but we can’t anymore. We have the same problems.

The solution chosen by the Italian people in 1946 remains the right choice today. Register to vote and vote in the coming November Midterm elections.

La Festa della Repubblica 2019

The celebration is Sunday, June 2, 2019. We hope humanity comes to its senses and things get sorted out.